Former security guard sues Museum
AKRON, Ohio June 12 2020— Former Akron Art Museum employee Michael Murphy on Wednesday strongly denied allegations made against him by another former museum employee in a lawsuit she filed against the museum and its former director late Monday in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas.
The lawsuit, filed by former museum security guard and art-handler Jenelle Alverson, alleges that the museum and its then-director, Mark Masuoka, created a hostile work environment and failed to address her complaints over gender discrimination.
Instead, she said the museum retaliated against her for raising complaints and made her feel forced to resign in 2019.
Alverson’s complaints are related to allegations of racism, sexism and bullying of employees by managers that occurred while Masuoka was director. Masuoka resigned from the museum May 18. He has denied the allegations against him.
The museum said it addressed the allegations after substantiating some complaints by employees, but it would not discuss any changes because they involve personnel.
In her lawsuit, Alverson said that early in her employment as a security guard, which started in 2013, Murphy, her then-supervisor, “slowly walked in a circle around [her] and slowly looked her up and down.” She said Murphy called her “baby,’’ and expected her to respond to this “nickname” for her.
Alverson’s lawsuit said that on another occasion, in 2014, Murphy trapped her behind her desk and interrogated her “about her body, her workout routines and her love life.”
The suit names the art museum and Masuoka as defendants.
